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DIGITALBRIDGE APPOINTS MISSGUIDED CDO JONATHAN WALL TO BOARD

Award winning Manchester tech business, DigitalBridge, has announced the appointment of Jonathan Wall to its board of directors, ahead of an exciting period of expansion.

Jonathan, who is currently the Chief Digital Officer of fashion brand Missguided and has also held the position of eCommerce Director at Shop Direct, joins existing DigitalBridge board members in his role.

With expertise in leading mobile marketing strategies, as well notable successes in developing retail offerings across web and mobile apps, Jonathan is set to bring a wealth of valuable experience to his position. He is known for having nurtured an experimental in-house culture which has been a key driver of his success.

Jonthan will help guide DigitalBridge’s strategy to engage with global retailers as the company looks to grow its operations beyond the UK market.

The appointment comes as DigitalBridge looks to transition into a period of exciting growth over the next 12 months. The company, which is headquartered in Manchester Science Park, specialises in developing space planning tools for the kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms market.

David Levine, CEO of DigitalBridge, said: “Jonathan has been a transformative influence at both Shop Direct and Missguided – two of the UK’s most forward-thinking digital retail businesses – so we’re delighted to bring him on board at this crucial stage of our growth.”

Jonathan Wall commented: “I’ve been keeping a close eye on DigitalBridge since the company launched in 2013, during which time it has evolved from smart start-up to emerging industry player in the UK and beyond. This is a great opportunity to provide some insights that will bolster the company’s global scale and reach in the coming years.”

DigitalBridge is an award winning mixed reality company that uses computer vision and machine learning to allow customers to “try on” home décor products in their own rooms, and in particular see what their kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms would look like in a virtual setting.

Launched in 2013 by CEO David Levine, DigitalBridge’s innovative and intuitive design visualiser works by letting consumers capture their current kitchen, bathroom and bedroom space, and then guides them through 3D design and visualisation on a tablet or smartphone. Consumers can add or remove products like furniture, flooring and wallcoverings directly on the screen.

MIXED-REALITY COMPANY DIGITALBRIDGE NAMED MOST INNOVATIVE RETAIL TECH COMPANY BY NVIDIA

Mixed reality business DigitalBridge has been named as one of the most innovative technology businesses in the world’s retail sector by NVIDIA, after winning the California based tech giant’s retail inception scheme.

The Manchester based start-up beat 1,500 other small tech businesses from all over the world including Singapore, Germany and the US’s famed Silicon Valley to claim top prize in the contest, which recognised how the business was using new technology to revolutionise the retail sector.

Judges praised DigitalBridge’s use of mixed reality, artificial intelligence and deep machine learning to create a platform that allows consumers to virtually “try on” home décor products before buying them.

This overseas recognition in one of the world’s biggest technology competitions follows DigitalBridge’s success at John Lewis’s JLAB accelerator programme, which resulted in the business receiving investment from the retailer, as well as the opportunity to trial its product in store.

David Levine, CEO of DigitalBridge, which is based at Manchester Science Park, said: “This is a truly significant moment for our business. To have NVIDIA, one of the world’s biggest technology companies and leaders in deep learning technology, recognise the work we are doing as among the most innovative in our sector is a fantastic achievement.

“New technology is completely revolutionising how retailers operate and to be at the forefront of that change and leading innovation is an exciting place to be. More retailers are beginning to see the value of including visualisation technology in their offering, and we have some big announcements in the pipeline heading into the second half of the year.”

Jack Watts, deep learning start-up business manager at NVIDIA, added: “Start-ups are the drivers for the adoption and acceleration of technology in the retail sector and DigitalBridge’s convergence of mixed reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning made them clear winners in our eyes.

“They have developed a magical room visualisation platform that will completely revolutionise how people shop for their homes and solves a real problem in the industry.”

DIGITALBRIDGE NAMED AS RUNNER UP AT WIRED RETAIL 2016

DigitalBridge, the UK-based mixed-reality and computer vision company has been recognised as one of the most innovative start-ups in the retail technology sector after being named runner up at this year’s Wired Retail conference.

DigitalBridge’s room visualisation tool that allows customers to “try on” home décor products in their own room was praised by judges at this year’s event, which took place at the British Museum in London on Wednesday, November 16.

The John Lewis backed start-up, which is based at Manchester Science Park, was one of 18 other companies vying for the top award at one of country’s biggest technology events.

CEO David Levine said: “This was a highly competitive process with some of the biggest and most innovative companies in the world so to finish runner-up is a huge achievement for our young business.

“The judges were impressed with the technology being pioneered by DigitalBridge and the emphasis being placed on the user experience to make this tool accessible for customers and commercially viable for businesses.”

He added: “This has been a significant year in the development of the business, having been named Partners’ choice at this year’s John Lewis JLAB accelerator programme followed by investment from the retail giant.

“To now be recognised as one of the leading innovators in retail technology is a massive boost and sets the stage for an even better year in 2017.”